A young man from a Quaker family in Bessbrook has issued an appeal for public support after the roof of their local Meeting House collapsed.
With a rich family history in the area and his almost 90-year-old grandfather still attending the Bessbrook Quaker meeting house, Sam Lyttle launched a fundraising appeal to help see the roof repaired for “future generations”.
Explaining the Quaker ethos, Sam explained: “Quakers are Christians who emphasise a way of life centred on equality, peace, simplicity, and truth. This is often expressed through silent, unprogrammed meetings for worship and a commitment to social justice.
“The Bessbrook meeting house is a lovely historical building that has been in attendance by Quakers since 1864.
“Bessbrook now have a small Quaker congregation who meet regularly each Sunday. The meeting is one of the main parts of the attendees lives and all of the congregation find peace and community there. It is a very important aspect to their spiritual and social lives.”
Recently the small, “aging” kitchen roof of the building collapsed and the damage, he says, has “devastated” those who attend.
Added Sam: “The kitchen is also an access way to the ladies’ toilet. This collapse has really devastated those who go there as some people travel quite a distance to their meeting.
“As most of the small congregation is made up of elderly people, they do not have the financial means to repair this building on their own.
“I give my Grandpa car lifts and bring him to the meeting as he lives a distance away. Our family take turns bringing him to the meeting as he can no longer drive.
“I attended last Sunday with him and witnessed how much this roof damage has impacted my Grandpa and the congregation there. I feel I must do something to help them and hope that we, as a community can come together to support this repair.
“One member of the congregation shared that they would hope to live to see the roof repaired for future generations.”
And while, the congregation currently have no access to the kitchen and toilet facilities, Sam says they are doing everything in their power to continue unperturbed with members even bringing flasks of tea in from their homes with powdered milk for after their service.
He says they need £12,000 ($16223 US) to repair the roof and so he has launched a GoFundMe page to help collate funds.
“If we could gather this money it would bring great relief and hope to a worried group and alleviate anxiety surrounding this. Also for practical reasons, there needs to be access to toilet facilities for everyone,” he said.
“A broken roof might be bad enough but it is amplified for these people as their meeting is such an important part of their lives.”
He also says that everyone is welcome to attend the meeting which is held every Sunday morning at 11:15am.
Said Sam: “Quakers are very welcoming, kind, hospitable people who live a peaceful life and have been huge contributors to charitable organisations and volunteering roles throughout history.
“Quaker support throughout history includes Irish famine relief, global humanitarian efforts and championing international social justice, peace and education.”
